Thousands of Jordanians march in solidarity with Palestine

AMMAN, Jordan

Thousands of Jordanians marched through the streets of the capital Amman on Friday in solidarity with Palestine and the Gaza Strip, which has been the target of intense Israeli airstrikes for the past seven days.

An Anadolu correspondent reported that the march began after the weekly Friday prayer in front of the Al-Husseini Mosque in Amman, and proceeded toward Al-Nakhil Square, about a kilometer away from the mosque.

The marchers chanted slogans like "The people want to liberate Palestine," "Open the borders," "With our spirit and blood, we redeem you, O Palestine," "To Jerusalem, we march as millions of martyrs," and various others.

Well-known political and labor organizations issued the call for the march.

In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, Israeli forces launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began last Saturday when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala